Railway time-signal



(No Model.) W. H. WADDELL.

' RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL. N0. 288,519. Patented NOV. 13, 1883.

wp'wmw UNITED warns ATENI trio RAILWAY TIME-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,519, dated November13, 1883.

Application filed Apiil 13, 1883.

'Id ctZZ whom it may concern.

Be itknown that I,W'ILLIAM H.WADDELL-, of Oharlottesville, in the countyof Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway Caution Signals; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

My improvements relate to that class ofinventions known ascaution-signals for railroads; and it has for its object to providemeans whereby the passage of a train sets in operation a signal, whichis designed to vibrate a sufficient length of time to give notice to theengineer of a second train, which may happen shortly to pass thereafteron the same track, of the slight advance of the preceding train, thusgiving him a basis upon which to calculate the speed of his train toavoid accident; and to this end my invention consists in locating alongthe side of the track at various intervals a weighted rod or pendulumsuspended on a horizontal shaft, and adapted to he struck by a shoulderdepending from the sill or side of the car, said shaft turning with theoscillation of the pendulum, by which a signal-pole is made to swingback and forth, for a purpose hereinafter specified; and my inventionconsists in other details of construction, all of which will be moreparticularly hereinafter explained.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure l is a side view of featuresembodying my improvements, andby which they areillustrated; and Fig. 2is a view in detail of onepart thereof.

The same letters of reference denote like parts in the figures, wherein-A represents a portion of a railroad-track, and B a car supposed to bemovingthereon.

Along the outer side of said track, and as desired, I propose to locate,in any suitable affixed thereto a cross-piece, E, which crosspiece isnot exactly horizontal or at right an- (No modem horizontal shaft, a,which is free to turn in suitable bearings, and to the outer end of saidshaft is fitted, by a nut-fastening or any equivalent means, a pole, b,so that when motion is imparted to the pendulum this pole swings backand forth, it being intended that a flag, c, or any sort of signal,shall be affixed to the end, by which the'notice of the engineer may beattracted.

The sill f of the car B, it is proposed, should be provided with an arm,(1, which arm is elbowed, as at 0. Only one car of a train may be thusprovided, or as many more as may be desired, it being for the purpose ofstriking the upwardly-extending end of cross-piece E, and thus impartoscillatory motion to the pendulum. The car is supposed to be moving inthe direction indicated by the arrow, the dotted lines showing themovement of the pendulum and pole.

As shown in Fig. 2, the piece E, at the point where it crosses the stem0, is knuckle-j ointed, its portions being connected by a spring, 9. Thepurposeof this form is that when. a train be backed, should thecross-piece not be struck in such manner as to depress it, it will yieldat the joint and be restored to its normal inclination by the spring,although in general the depression is the same either in a forward orbackward movement of the train, the crosspiece being rounded off on theend, as at t, for that purpose.

The l A suitable hole or trench should be dug of I sufficient dimensionsand depth to allow free movement of the pendulum, such movement beingcontrolled by the length, and, if desired, may be surrounded with aboxing, G, as a protection from rust and the weather.

The operation will be apparent, as well as its objects. Motion beingimparted to the device by a passing train will cause it to oscillate asufficient length of time to give such notice to another train behind itin case there should not be a reasonable lapse of time be tween them,and thus give a warning, whereby the danger of accident can be avoided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, IS I 1. In a caution-signal for railroads, thecombination, with the weighted pendulum sus pended on a shaft havingsuitable bearings and adapted to turn therewith, of the flagpolesupported on said shaft, the whole located in a trench at the side ofthe track, and to operate substantially in the manner described.

2. In a caution-signal for railroads, the comv bination of the rockingshaft audits bearings,

with the flag-pole located on said shaft at its outer end, and theweighted pendulum having the oblique cross-piece at the end of its stemat which it is suspended, said cross-piece eX- tending upward at asufficient inclination to be depressed by the depending arm of a car,for the purpose set forth.

3. In a caution signal for railroads, the hereindescribed combination ofthe turning shaft with the flag-pole, pendulum, and cross piece, saidcrosspiece being knuckle-jointed 20 at about its middle, and connectedby a spring, substantially for the purpose described.

4:. In a caution-signal for railroads, the corn bination of the swingingpendulum having crosspiece, as described, with the rocking shaft andflag-pole located at intervals along the line, the same to be situatedover suitable trenches dug therefor and surrounded by the boxing, as setforth and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM II. WADDELL.

Vitnesses: I

B. F. MoRsELL, EDWARD E. ELLIS.

